madamepurl

I always leave mine down, but I never knew about the fabric. Going to do that from now on.

maviskw

I'm really surprised at how few people have said that the reason for the fabric under the needle is for its use as a leader and ender; sometimes called a startie/stoppie, or a spider. How many times have you come to your machine and found that something has been rubbing against your needle and now the needle has come unthreaded? Leave a piece of fabric there with the presser foot down and the needle down, and you will have no trouble.

I had a White machine that I took to quilt camp, and several times almost lost my presser foot. Then I figured out: put the presser foot down and it won't come off.

And the needle down is another no brainer. The tip of the needle is dangerous, and if you keep it out of sight, no one will get hurt on it. I don't believe it hurts the machine to turn it on with the needle down. It knows what to do, and it does that little "wiggle dance" every time I turn it on, no matter where the needle has been.

So keep the fabric under the needle with needle down and presser foot down. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Grannyh67

I have always the foot down with a piece of cloth under it, also if I am transporting it I put the needle down also. Not sure if you should put the needle down but I think the foot needs to be down to release the tension and he fabric is to protect the feed dogs. Probably the needle down would help to keep the needle from geting broke in case the wheel got turned somehow. Any who, lol..this is my theory.

red-warrior

Thank you all...I had never heard or thought about this!

Dix

You learn something everyday!!! I have been sewing for 60 years and never heard about this. Of course, I probably was not listening in 9th grade when the teacher covered this!!! Thanks, ladies, for the information!

yippie

About 100 years ago when I was in the 7th grade on of the first things my teacher said when you leave the machine put fabric under the presser foot and PUT THE PRESSURE FOOD DOWN!!! If we did not we would not be able to use the machine for a day. So for me when I leave my machines it is always you guessed it PRESSURE FOOT DOWN. Also the needle is to be down. LOL Happy new year to all yippie

cricket_iscute

I have seen various vintage sewing machine manuals that recommend leaving fabric under the foot (and the foot down). The reason for this is that if a stitch or two is taken, possibly unintentionally, it is taken in fabric and will not wrap around the bobbin assembly and cause problems.

Thanks for the reminder.

KathyPhillips

me, too. my Mother told me to leave it down in the late 60's, and i think it was also stressed in home ec. class. no one ever told me why. i hoped it wasn't like the woman who always cut the end off the ham b4 she put it in the oven. her husband finally asked her why she cut the end off, and she replied because her mother always did. she decided to ask her mother after years of doing this. her mother said she cut the ham off because she didn't have a pan big enough for the whole ham!!

QUOTE=cdmmiracles;5758559]I leave mine down with fabric between. Not sure that's correct; I think I was taught that many years ago in Home Ec Class, lol.[/QUOTE]